Mid August 2004
- No end to Elvis-mania in these parts and that's a good thing
By CATHY NELSON PRICE
(Press Herald, August 19, 2004)
REVIEW "IDOLS OF THE KING"
WHERE: Arundel Barn Playhouse
WHEN: through Sept. 4
TICKETS:$19-$24, 985-5552
Elvis Presley died 27 years ago this month, and there are tributes aplenty, including a nifty little offering at the Arundel Barn Playhouse, "Idols of the King." "Designing Women" fans may recall an episode in which the principals head to Graceland, encountering various - sometimes quirky - Elvis worshippers. Evidently the show's director of continuity, Allen Crowe, was inspired by that concept, because he's spun an entire tribute musical out of it. In tandem with actress Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey on "The Waltons"), he crafted "Idols of the King."
Don't be misled by the title. Though its grammar would suggest otherwise, the show is not about those whom Elvis himself admired. Nor, even given its twist on Tennyson, does it dwell on how he spent his stolen moments. No, this focus is on the fans whose lives he touched, whether in fantasy or reality. They are, of necessity, offbeat, mostly Southern-rooted characters, whose existence he either completes or complicates. And like the pilgrims in "Canterbury Tales," they all eventually pay their respects at one of his concerts in Vegas. ...
- Double Trouble: All the King's men headed to Gimli for Elvis Fest 2004
By Pat St. Germain
(Canoe, August 19, 2004)
Everything's coming up Elvis in Gimli this weekend. The third annual Gimli Elvis Fest opens with a free street dance at the Gimli dock tomorrow at 7 p.m. and closes with a marathon performance from 14 Elvis tribute artists at the Gimli Rec Centre Saturday at 7 p.m. Festival founder Adam Tarnwoski, aka Adam T. Elvis, says the Saturday-night show is bigger, better and, most important, cooler than ever.
"This year we are promising that it's going to be a lot cooler because we got permission to turn on the ice-maker in the rink," he says, explaining a heatwave transformed the Gimli Rec Centre into a sauna for about 2,000 fans last year. "Three-quarters of the way through, we lost about half the people. We don't want that problem happening this year."
Tarnowski, 23, says his two-year-old son Presley is joining the taller Elvii, who are travelling from points in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. They'll each sing one or two songs at the free show tomorrow, and they're co-ordinating their Saturday sets to avoid repetition. "This year we're actually concentrating on the '50s. Elvis's first single was released 50 years ago," Tarnowski says. Fans are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the local food bank Friday. The food bank will also benefit from sales of a $2 souvenir brochure. Tarnowski, who wasn't even born when Presley died in 1977, has performed as Elvis for nine years. He'll be joined, as usual, by the Good Rockin' Tonight Band. ...
- Miller Sorry for Omitting Black Artists
By JULIET WILLIAMS
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, August 19, 2004)
Miller Brewing Co. apologized Thursday for failing to include any black artists on its series of commemorative rock 'n roll cans. The Associated Press reported Sunday that the brewer, in a promotion with Rolling Stone magazine, did not have a black artist on the cans as part of its celebration of the "50th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll." "African Americans obviously have played a formative role in the development of rock 'n roll, and despite our efforts, we did not manage this component of the promotion appropriately," the company said in a statement late Thursday "to the African-American community, to music fans and to our valued consumers."
- Man claims Elvis is his dad
(Washington Times / UPI, August 19, 2004)
A Michigan man has hired an Alabama attorney to help him prove he is the illegitimate son of Elvis Presley, a Tennessee newspaper reported Thursday. Get ready, because geography isn't the only confusing element in this story. It started in Jackson, Tenn., where Tim Farrell said his mother admitted on her deathbed that she had sex on a beach with Elvis in 1954 and, indeed, he was the son of the King, the Sun said. Farrell, 49, and now a resident of Jackson, Mich., told the newspaper all he wants is the Presley estate to agree to a DNA test. His half-sister, Regina Holland of Rogersville, Ala., is convinced her mother was telling the truth is leading the charge, the Sun said. ... Farrell has hired Steve Baccus, a Tuscumbia, Ala., attorney who said he agreed to take the case because, "I thought this guy was in need of some help." Baccus said Farrell and Holland are not after any money or any portion of Lisa Marie Presley's estate. "They just want to know the truth, that's all," he said.
A spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises, which handles the estate, said no one had any comment on the claim or the DNA request "at this point."
- Priscilla in fear of 'Elvis curse'
(Yahoo! News, August 18, 2004)
Priscilla Presley is determined to make sure her 17-year-old son doesn't fall victim to the "Elvis curse" after he was caught with drugs when police stopped him for speeding in Los Angeles. Navarone Garibaldi, Presley's son with long-time boyfriend Marco Garibaldi, was said to be under the influence of marijuana and in possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms. According to US TV show, Celebrity Justice, Priscilla, 59, rushed to the police station in Glendale, east of Los Angeles, to bring her son home. A police spokesman confirmed the arrest, but a spokesman for the District Attorney refused to give details of any charges because Garibaldi is still a minor. Priscilla was married to Elvis until their divorce, four years before his death in 1977. She lived through the agony of watching Elvis become involved with drugs and alcohol.
Following her son's arrest, she said in a statement given to Celebrity Justice: "This is unfortunate. Navarone is a great kid, and this is the first time that anything of this sort has ever happened to him. He takes full responsibility for his actions. He is regretful and is taking steps to ensure that this never happens again."
While Priscilla's daughter with Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley, has been in the public eye for years, particularly following her short-lived marriage to Michael Jackson and her subsequent attempts to launch her own singing career, her half-brother has so far remained out of the spotlight.
- German Town Wary of U.S. Troop Pullout
By DAVID McHUGH, Associated Press
(Yahoo! News, August 17, 2004)
Hans Seitz has sold engraved pewter plates and cuckoo clocks to U.S. soldiers for years. Now he fears some of his best customers may be going if two U.S. divisions pull out of Germany. Seitz was one of many Germans - all the way up to Defense Minister Peter Struck - who expressed regret Tuesday at the prospect that the United States will withdraw a large share of its 70,000 troops from Germany under plans announced by President Bush. ... Pulling the troops out would break up a close relationship dating back to the end of World War II. Germans still remember that Elvis Presley and Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the top commander in the 1991 Gulf war, served here. ...
- GQ Names 'Most Stylish Musicians Ever'
(soundgenerator.com, August 17, 2004)
GQ Magazine has revealed it's '25 Most Stylish Musicians Of All Time',
The men's style bible has given the nod to a diverse group of musicians ranging from 50's rock n' roll legends Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent up to present day figureheads like Andre 3000 and Beck. ... "The 25 Most Stylish Musicians of All Time," appears in the September 2004 issue of GQ, on newsstands nationwide Tuesday, August 24, 2004. ... Elvis Presley: Movies trivialized him; pharmaceuticals wrecked him. But for those few magical years before he shipped off to Germany, Elvis was the most magnetic creature on the planet. ...
- SPRINGER TO BECOME ELVIS
(contactmusic.com, August 17, 2004)
Talk show host JERRY SPRINGER can't wait to impersonate his biggest hero, ELVIS PRESLEY on a British TV show. The 60-year-old agreed to sing on next year's (05) CELEBRITY STARS IN THEIR EYES after gushing about the King of Rock to a TV executive, and has been obsessively rehearsing in a white catsuit and wig ever since. An insider says, "We gave Jerry a choice of stars and he's plumped for Elvis. He'll probably be glad to appear on a show where he doesn't get beaten up."
- Fans Mark 27th Anniversary Of Elvis' Death
(channelcincinnati.com / Associated Press, August 16, 2004)
A candlelight vigil is being held Monday night at the Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn., to mark the passing of "The King of Rock 'n' Roll." Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. Fans from across the country have been arriving at his former home. His grave is in a garden next to the estate. The vigil caps a weeklong string of activities, including performances by Elvis impersonators, parties and fan club meetings. ...
- No Black Artists on Rock 'n' Roll Cans
(New York Times / ASSOCIATED PRESS, August 16, 2004)
Miller Brewing is celebrating the "50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll" with eight beer cans that feature Rolling Stone cover shots of Elvis Presley, Blondie and others. What is missing, some say, is a black artist. Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, called the absence "beyond conspicuous," because black artists are often credited with inventing rock music. "It would be like doing a set of cans of six great Impressionist painters and not including any French people on it," he said.
The promotion, which ties rock's anniversary to Presley's debut at Sun Studios in Memphis, also depicts Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Willie Nelson, as well as the guitars of Eric Clapton and Joe Walsh, on cans being issued this summer.
Gary Armstrong, chief marketing officer for Wenner Media, the publisher of Rolling Stone, said race was not a consideration when choosing the artists. "We didn't even consciously think pro or con, the same way that the only woman on there is Blondie," he said. "We just went with the people that we thought were appropriate." A Miller spokesman, Scott Bussen, said the company started with a broad wish list, but its choices were limited to Rolling Stone covers. "I'm sure that our objective was to get as diverse a representation of musical acts as well as diversity," he said.
Mr. Armstrong noted that Rolling Stone, which was first published in 1967, arrived years after many formative black artists of the genre had emerged. And some artists who appeared on its covers balked at being used in a promotion involving alcohol, he said. "These are the artists that gave us approval to use their images on the beer cans," a Miller spokeswoman, Molly Reilly, said.
Six of the initial 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1986 were black, including Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles and Little Richard. The black rock musician Lenny Kravitz has criticized the use of Presley's first Sun Studio recording as rock's birth date, saying it leaves out the true pioneers.
- Oldies Music - Elvis Presley: 1935-1977
By Robert Fontenot
(About, August 16, 2004)
If I Can Dream: The '68 Elvis Comeback Special
35 years later, the legacy remains - this simple NBC-TV special remains one of the more fascinating career resurrections in entertainment history. How did the King do it? More importantly, why did he do it? All questions are answered here.
Elvis Presley: GuideReviews Index
Reviews of two Elvis CDs -- "Elvis: Ultimate Gospel," the first single-disc overview of Elvis Presley's gospel recordings, and "Elvis: 2nd to None," the companion release to 2002's "greatest hits" compilation, "30 #1 Hits."
The King Is Dead, Long Live The King
A guide to Elvis on the web!
Sam Phillips and Sun Records
Everyone on Earth has heard of Elvis Presley, but few outside of musical historians are fully aware of the legacy Sam Phillips has created. Among those in the know, he's best remembered for discovering Elvis, nurturing him, and then eventually selling him to RCA. The story's both deeper and longer than that, however...
- World's First Elvis Coin and Stamp Collection Released at Graceland As Part of Historic 50th Anniversary Celebrations
(PRWeb, August 15, 2004)
During a star-studded celebration at Elvis' Graceland mansion in Memphis, collectors were finally able to see the highly anticipated coin and stamp collection honoring the 50th anniversary of "That's All Right." It is the world's first official coin and stamp collection honoring a pivotal event in Elvis Presley's amazing career.
Fifty years ago in 1954, Elvis Presley dared to rock. He recorded his first single release, "That's All Right," for the Sun Records label in Memphis. It marked the birth of Rock 'n' Roll and the start of Elvis' amazing career.
Today, during a star-studded celebration at Elvis' Graceland mansion in Memphis, collectors were finally able to see the highly anticipated coin and stamp collection honoring the 50th anniversary of "That's All Right." It is the world's first official coin and stamp collection honoring a pivotal event in Elvis' amazing career.
M Moshe Malamud, President of the Morgan Mint, unveiled the collection. It consists of official legal tender postage stamp sheets from the governments of Grenada and The Gambia, as well as a genuine U.S. Silver Dollar that has been officially colorized by the Morgan Mint. The collection is authorized by the issuing governments, Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Each sheet of official legal tender stamps features classic images of Elvis. The stamps are legal for postage in the nations of issue and are recognized by every postal authority in the world, including the United States. Unlike the Elvis stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service over a decade ago, however, these stamps are limited editions. Just a fraction of the stamp sheets have been set aside for this unique collection.
The U.S. Silver Dollar was issued by the United States Mint under an Act of Congress and features a rare archival image of Elvis, together with the caption "He Dared to Rock" and Elvis' official facsimile signature. The coin contains one full ounce of pure silver.
Based on the overwhelming popularity of Elvis Presley memorabilia, Malamud expects this collection to sell out quickly. "The U.S. Elvis stamp was the best-selling commemorative in history," said Malamud, "but this 50th anniversary collection is being released in a shockingly small edition of just thousands. I encourage all collectors to get theirs early, before they sell out."
The stamps and coins release was organized by the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corp. (IGPC), the world's largest postal authority representing over 75 client nations in areas of posts and treasury.
CONTACT: For more information about the historic Elvis Presley 50th anniversary coin and stamp collection, contact the Morgan Mint at (800) 348-7727 or on the web at http://www.morganmint.com/product.cfm?Prod=2030&Link=32.
IMAGE DOWNLOAD: http://www.ElvisCoins.com
- Fooled again (and again)
By MICHAEL HENDERSON
(Sunday Mail, August 15, 2004)
UNLESS you have been living in a cave - and if you have, good for you - it cannot have escaped your attention that pop music, rock music, call it what you like, celebrated its 50th birthday last month. We've got that tub of lard, Elvis, to blame. He started the whole shebang with That's All Right, Mama. The post-war world, increasingly obsessed by youth, needed a standard-bearer to sing its own songs, and anointed a gauche kid from Tupelo, Mississippi, whose gift was to transform the raw music of poor blacks into comforting, bite-sized chunks for white record-buyers. At a stroke, the teenager was born, an unsettling development for men and women who were still coming to terms with the fracturing consequences of a horrible war. Half a century later, it seems that teenagers and the people who cater for their easy, pliable tastes, have taken over the world. And don't imagine that being a teenager simply means awaiting the key to the door. Some people carry their teenage years into middle age.
Pop culture may be 50, it may even have provided some innocent (and not so innocent) entertainment along the way, but it has never grown up and it never will. Ignore the claims of its admirers, most of whom can't spell their own names, and listen instead to those who know a thing or two about the genuinely liberating effects of high culture. ...
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- 12-Hour Elvis Radio Marathon on 98 FM
By di-ve.com
(di-ve.com, August 14, 2004)
To commemorate Elvis Presley's 27th Anniversary since his passing, and to celebrate the 8th Anniversary since it's first community broadcast, Radju Kottoner (98 FM) is organizing a 12-hour live radio marathon dedicated to Rock & Roll legend Elvis Presley on Monday 16th August. On this day, 27 years ago, the world was shocked when news spread out like wild fire that Elvis Presley was dead.
The marathon kicks off at 8.00am with presenter Dorian Cassar who will be opening the marathon together with Carmel J. Delia (known as DJ CJ) who holds a world record for the longest radio marathon (56 1/2 hours) ever done dedicated exclusively to Elvis' songs. During this all-request-show, listeners will be asked to phone in their favorite Elvis tunes and all requested songs would be played shortly after. ...
- Goulet didn't take Elvis shot personally
By Christopher Blank
(Commercial Appeal, August 14, 2004)
The 70-year-old entertainer Robert Goulet is in Memphis to play King Arthur in "Camelot" at the Orpheum theater through Sunday. Since it's Elvis Week, we asked Goulet about his part in a well-known anecdote about Elvis: The king of rock and roll was known to aim a gun at his television when he saw something there that displeased him. ...
CA: You know Memphis is an Elvis town and you factor into a local legend.
GOULET: When he shot the television set? He also shot 50 other people. They told me that he had about a hundred sets in the basement. And he'd shoot the damn thing out - you know he was on pills and he didn't know quite what he was doing and he'd BANG! and they'd look at each other and say, "Get another set!"
They mention me all the time. I don't know why. I remember once we sat together backstage for two hours. And he was a charming, delightful, delightful man. And at one point I said, "That's a beautiful ring you have there." He said "You like it?" I said, "It's beautiful!" He took it off his hand and put it on mine. He gave me his ring. And years later all the jewelry I had in my house - I trust everybody. I was brought up to believe that you cannot steal, cheat or lie and I've been stolen from, cheated or lied to all of my life. And so jewelry - who needs it? But this one was something special to me and it's gone. ...
CA: So tell me a little more about the Elvis connection. We write so much about Elvis here. What was your reaction when you heard he'd shot the TV?
GOULET: The point is I knew he was not himself so therefore it wasn't anything to do with me. He shot out Mel Torme. He shot out Frank. But I get all the credit.
- Elvis Presley Quotations
By Danielle Hollister
(Bella Online, August 13, 2004)
[Twenty nine quotations of Elvis]
- 10 Country: Jean's King Observance
(WALB-TV, August 12, 2004)
A king died almost 27 years ago, but not in the minds of many people. The anniversary of Elvis Presley's death comes on Monday, August 16, and people will remember him in different ways.
Memories, regardless of their type, can make impressions that can last a lifetime. "This is the one my grandmother gave me," says Jean Dillard and she holds a 33 1/3 rpm album of Elvis Presley Christmas songs. She was eight years-old when she met a would-be king through music, and she became a loyal fan.
"I saw him five times, five times. And, every time it was just wonderful," remembers Jean. It was a wonderful time in her life, with rock 'n roll music serenading her along the way. "The 50s were my favorite time of my life. It had good, good music," remembers Jean, about memories that remain close to her heart decades later. "He's just a teenage idol and I still like him. I listen to him everyday," says Jean as her computer plays Elvis' music so softly that you don't notice it at first. Music triggers memories. "Oh, you remember when everybody would dance at the recreation department," says Jean as Elvis starts singing, "I can't help falling in love with you," her favorite song. Jean listened to many singers in the 50s, "Ricky Nelson came along. Pat Boone, all those in my era, Elvis was still the main one," says Jean. The king wouldn't get dethroned. "I don't like to hear anything derogatory about him or anything like that," says Jean, preferring the sweet memories. ...
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